Pine
Flatwoods and Dry Prairies are part of the Upland Ecosystem. Prior to
the advent of air conditioning, Florida was an unbearable place for
people to live. The things that sustained Florida before tourism were
turpentine harvesting, logging and other industries that depended on
these upland ecosystems. Nearly half of the land area in Florida is pine
flatwoods - generally flat, low lying land with poorly drained soil. In
fact, the term "flatwoods" arose from the noticeable lack of topographic
relief in the lands of this habitat. One of the most famous prairies in
Florida is Paynes Prairie, a
state reserve just south of Gainesville, Florida.
SUBSTRATE: Relatively poorly drained, acidic, sandy soils.

NEGATIVE IMPACTS:
Hurricanes tear reefs apart, and gradually warming waters bleach and
weaken corals. Diseases often become a problem for the weakened
organisms. Humans pose additional hazards to the reefs by polluting the
waters and by the use of poor fishing practices. High nutrient levels
such as those found in runoff from agricultural areas can harm reefs by
encouraging excess algae growth.

Pinelands,
or pine flatwoods, are the most common plant communities in Florida.
Pinelands are found on nearly level land, or on porous limestone.
Extensive areas of pine flatwoods are found in the panhandle, northeast,
central, and south Florida. The habitat often forms a matrix with other
upland and wetland habitats.

Two species of pine trees dominate the modern pine flatwoods.
Long-leaf and slash pine are
commonly found in the panhandle and north and central Florida while
slash pine is the only species that exists in south Florida pine
flatwoods. An open canopy allows abundant amounts of sunshine to reach
the forest floor. This supports an extensive low growing understory.
Dominate species include gallberry, saw palmetto, wiregrass, wax myrtle,
fetterbush, and several other grass species.

One of the most important elements of the pine flatwoods is fire.
Before the extensive development of the state, natural fires started by
lightning strikes kept the overstory relatively open, the understory in
check and the invasion of hardwoods to a minimum. As a natural part of
this habitat, fire helps to recycle nutrients and creates favorable
growth conditions for the fire resistant seeds of the flatwood's native
grasses and understory plants. Once development began to spread, fire
was suppressed, excess fuel accumulated on the ground leading to an
increased risk of devastating wild fires, and the species composition of
some pine flatwoods changed.

Dry prairies are large treeless areas located in Central Florida
and are considered endemic to the state. Over 240 plant species have
been documented in dry prairie, but they are primarily dominated by low
shrubs, runner oak, fetterbush, grasses, and other herbaceous species.
Dry prairies closely resemble pine flatwoods without the pine overstory.
In fact, dry prairie can be thought of as the endpoint along a forested
to treeless continuum of flatwoods/savanna landscapes, in response to
variation in the natural fire regime.

Dry prairies occur on low, flat topography with poorly drained
acidic soil that is subject to flooding for a short duration after heavy
summer rains. Although the reason for treelessness remains subject to
debate,
dry prairies are adjacent to
pine flatwoods and scrubby hardwood ecotypes. If fire is kept out of dry
prairie ecosystems trees from adjacent ecosystems will invade a dry
prairie. The persistence of dry prairie has also been closely tied to
cattle ranching that has existed in central and South Florida since
European settlement.